AGENTS MAKE FELONY ARRESTS FOR ILLEGAL WEAPON

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement Division agents arrested John G. Slaughter, 34, of Jonesboro, and Jeremy K. Guilliams, 30, of Castor, for alleged weapons violations on the night of Oct. 23.

Lt. Richie McCarthy received an anonymous call to his residence around 8 p.m. in reference to a gunshot off Carr road and quickly responded. Lt. McCarthy was able to locate the suspected vehicle occupied by Slaughter and Guilliams where he allegedly found them to be in possession of a pistol-grip 12-gauge shotgun fitted with a barrel measuring 13 3/16 inches, with an overall length of 23 1/4 inches.

Sgt. Charles Dison then arrived on the scene to assist with questioning the men, where Slaughter allegedly admitted to owning the gun and Guilliams allegedly told the agents that he had fired the gun from the road that night.

Agents later located a spent 12 gauge shot shell at the location of the complaint, but were unable to find any evidence that any wildlife had been taken. A background check revealed that Guilliams has just been paroled in September of this year for a felony conviction.

Both men were booked into the Bienville Parish jail for possession of an illegal weapon. State law requires a shotgun to have a barrel of a minimum of 16 inches in length, with an overall minimum length of 26 inches. Guilliams was also booked for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and for discharging a firearm from a public road.

Possession of an illegal weapon is punishable by a fine of $500 to $2000 and imprisonment with or without hard labor for 1-5 years. Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon is punishable by imprisonment at hard labor for 10 to 15 years without benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence and a fine of $1000 to $5000. Discharging a firearm from a public road is punishable by a fine of $50, or jail not more than 30 days or both.